Outpatient Mental Health Services

The purpose of this program is to prevent and treat chronic/severe emotional and psychiatric disorders.  It is the belief of the Health Department and Community Health Center that quality mental health care is a necessary part of total health care and should be readily accessible to all Lake County residents.  Family involvement with treatment, when clinically helpful to a client's progress, is encouraged.

Services in this program include diagnostic evaluation, psychiatric assessment, and crisis intervention to adults who have a history of chronic mental illness.  Clients who receive our psychiatric medication services may also qualify for individual and/or group psychotherapy, depending on the type of funding the client has.

Eligibility


Who is eligible?


To participate in the program, a client must meet the following criteria:
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Lake County resident
  • Have a history of treatment for a chronic mental illness, or be experiencing first-time severe symptoms of a major mental illness
  • Be capable and willing to participate with all treatment recommendations
  • Be able to keep appointments at 1 of our 2 locations

Who is not eligible?


Our program is funded to treat chronic mental illness, and the following exclusions apply, as we are not funded for the populations or services below: 

  • Developmental disability (those who have moderate or severe mental retardation)
  • Residents of nursing homes or any other 24-hour residential treatment program
  • Those requesting only psychological testing
  • Those wanting only evaluations for other agencies, such as DCFS, Social Security, lawyers, etc. (The only evaluations we perform are of clients who are ordered by the Lake County Courts to evaluate the need for treatment.)
  • Those in need of a higher level of care than outpatient services, such as needing emergency psychiatric hospitalization due to potential for harmful behavior
Fees
Fees for outpatient mental health services are partially covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or insurance, and a sliding fee scale will be used based on individual circumstances. Services are not free. If you are uninsured, you will be assessed a $5 co-pay fee for each psychiatric visit. Payment of your portion of the fee is due at the time of service.
Click here to watch our 2 Minute Program Video